It's getting hot in here, so take off your spidey-suit
by wolfypuppypiles
Summary: Peter suffers from heatstroke and has to get himself home while trying not to pass out or fall off a building. It's not a happy day for our Spider boi


This is a prompt fill for Evelyn winter

(AN: I know the Avengers compound is actually far away from where Peter lives but for the sake of fanfics I'm pretending it's closer.)

 **…**

"-and the heat wave is only getting worse-" Peter shut the TV off, grabbing his backpack on his way out the door.

"Bye May! I'll see you tonight!"

Peter was so excited for patrols after school. The heat had been making everyone crankier which meant crime was up and there was more for him to do as Spider-man. Obviously, criminals were bad and he would prefer if everyone in the city were safe, but he couldn't help how excited he was to be doing more real superhero things.

By the time his classes finished, he was so ready for patrols he practically fell from his chair to get out the door.

Peter slipped his mask on, swinging up onto a building before his suit had even finished adjusting to his body.

"What have you got for me, Karen?"

The sun was glaring down on the young hero and his suit adjusted the eyes accordingly, like the best pair of sunglasses ever.

"There is a domestic disturbance three blocks away. The police have already been called and are on their way. There was a robbery at an apartment downtown that is being similarly handled and there is a fire in a building two blocks from here. One of the firefighters is trapped inside."

Peter fired another web, pulling up and swinging over to another rooftop, legs curling in to give him more momentum. "Fire, it is!"

Peter really had to give it up to Mr Stark. That man really had thought of everything when making the suit. As soon as Peter got close to the fire his mask automatically began filtering his air for him, ensuring he wouldn't choke on the smoke pouring into the air around him.

Peter jumped right into the burning building, landing lightly on his toes among crumbling wood and smouldering furniture as Karen scanned the scene around him. "Where's the firefighter?"

The heat was awful, making Peter's skin instantly dampen with sweat under his suit. Gross.

"One floor down. The stairs collapsed under her and she fell. She needs medical assistance immediately."

Peter got to work, making his way through the burning rooms, past walls that creaked and groaned dangerously, the roof threatening to come down at any moment. But still, he moved forward, moving as fast as he dared until he reached what was left of the stairs.

The firefighter was down below, laying in a heap of broken wood and smouldering ash. Peter leant over the bannister and called down.

"I'm here to help! I'll get you out!"

The woman's voice came back up, pained and frantic. "Hurry! The whole things going to come down any minute!"

Peter muttered to himself as he thought of a plan, looking around at what he could use around him. "I only need a minute."

Karen beeped unhappily, numbers running across Peter's vision in warning. "Peter, your body temperature is rising rapidly. The suit is not designed for prolonged exposure to heat."

Peter fired a web down to the firefighter, sticking it to the front of her jacket as he gripped his end with his gloved fingers. He ignored Karen instead, calling down to the woman below. "Hold on tight!"

He pulled, super strength making it easy to lift her from the lower level. The building around them creaked again and Peter, so concentrated on his task, didn't notice the falling beam until his spidey senses screamed at him.

He turned, thrusting a hand out to catch a burning beam that fell towards him, but the flames licking up the wood burned his palm and his arm buckled beneath the weight.

The wood fell on top of him, hitting his back and over his head, sending black spots into his vision. The firefighter screamed as the web slackened and Peter quickly pulled it taught again.

His knees straightened as he pushed back against the beam, using his strength to hold the weight of it on his shoulder as he pulled the woman up to safety.

"Oh, thank you! You saved me!"

She climbed over the bannister, adjusting her helmet as she stood. Peter dropped the web and gripped the beam, carefully taking the weight off his back and placing the beam on the floor, aware of how slow he needed to go in order to avoid smashing the wood beneath them from the weight.

His head ached but he ignored it and wrapped an arm around the woman's waist. " No problem. Now, how about we get out of here?"

He fired a web and pulled them both out of the flames, out of the unbearable heat and into the bright light of day.

God, he was hot. Way too hot. He dropped the firefighter off at one of the ambulances before swinging away to a nearby rooftop.

"Oh my god, I don't want to do that again. That was awful." He didn't wait for Karen's reply as he pulled his mask off, sucking in the fresh air as he slumped down, sitting on the ledge.

His head ached and his shoulder hurt and it was so hot out that it wasn't much cooler outside of the burning building. "Man, I wish we had a swimming pool. I bet Mr Stark has one. You think he'd let me use it?"

Karen didn't reply of course and Peter looked down to his mask in his lap. "Dammit." It was too hot to bear having it on his face, too hot to bear having a skin-tight suit on with every inch of his skin covered.

But he wanted to hear his friend and so, Peter wiped an arm over his face, pushing his sweat-dampened hair back, and slipped his mask on.

Karen was still flashing warning signals irritably, like when May had to repeat herself to Peter when he didn't listen. "Peter, my systems have sustained some minor damage and need to be repaired. I advise heading back to the compound to see Mr Stark."

Peter looked through her report and the small list of damages she displayed on the screen for him. "Communications are out? Do I really need that right now?"

Karen still sounded her usual chipper self but her flashing warning in the corner seemed to indicate that she was getting impatient. "I will not be able to receive or initiate calls or send any information out from the suit."

Peter smiled, getting up from the ledge and stretching out his bruised shoulder. "So, the tattle-tale protocol is offline? You can't tell on me if I do something Mr Stark won't like?"

"That is correct."

Peter laughed and began making his way to the nearest bodega. "Sweet! Let's get some water and then get back to work then, huh? What are the police scanners saying?"

"There is a robbery taking place at the bank. They have taken hostages but haven't given any demands yet."

Peter slowed his steps. He could really use some water but his comfort was not more important than the safety of the innocent people in the bank.

"Okay, I can take a break later. Let's go do that."

Only, later turned into 'just after this carjacking' and then 'I need to help this class of kids get home safe' and Peter never did get his water. Or his break.

Karen's warnings and alarms really started stacking up in the corner of his vision. Communications were out, his heart rate was too high, respirations were too, and his body temperature was dangerously elevated. Peter ignored them all and rubbed a hand over his temple.

"Ugh. My head hurts. Did I hit it?"

Karen's voice was getting hard to concentrate on. "Yes. In the fire."

Peter blinked rubbing a hand over his forehead. "What fire?"

She was so patient. What a good friend. "The one you went in to save the firefighter. Peter, you're temperature is too high. You need medical attention."

Peter blinked his heavy eyes and threw out a hand to the wall beside him, catching himself as he stumbled. Why was he so dizzy?

"I'm- I'm okay. I…oops. Nope. I need to throw up."

Peter bent over at the waist and shakily yanked his mask up to his nose, sucking in shallow breaths of air as he tried to keep from gagging. Little moans escaped his mouth as saliva gathered nauseatingly in his mouth, Karen's voice muffled in his ears.

"Peter, I cannot call for help with my systems damaged. You need to get back to Mr Stark and find help."

Peter groaned as his stomach clenched painfully and he shook, falling to his knees as he expelled the only thing he'd eaten that morning. Aunt May's cooking tasted about as good coming up as it did going down.

Peter turned his head away from the mess and sat back on his haunches, panting. "Ugh, I don't feel good."

Karen's voice was growing more insistent. "Peter, find Mr Stark. You need help, now."

Peters' head throbbed but he obeyed and got to his feet. His body was heavy and wobbly, like when a child's toy started to run out of batteries, the sounds morphed into horrifying stretched warbles.

Peter couldn't remember where exactly he was. "Karen? How do I get home?"

Her voice was worried, call options flickering across the top of Peter's vision as she tried everything she could to send a calm, a distress signal, anything.

"Go left and follow the road down two blocks. Other left. Concentrate, Peter."

Peter groaned, eyes too heavy to keep open for long. "I can't."

Karen put up a flashing light in Peter's vision, like a blinker on a car. "Go this way."

Peter was so tired, but she was so insistent so, he followed the little blinky light like she said.

His head throbbed and he didn't feel good and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep, or throw up again, but Karen continued to urge him on until finally, the compound was in sight. Peter almost sobbed with relief. Mr stark would take care of him and Bruce would find out why he was sick and make him feel better.

He didn't want to go through the front door and then go up all the levels to find Tony so, he asked Karen which floor he was on and just crawled up the side of the building till he found him.

He was working in his office, organising papers and discussing something with Steve. It looked important, maybe he shouldn't bother him.

Karen spoke up in his suit, her voice all syrupy in Peters' ears. "You're sick. You need help. Go in."

Karen was very smart and Peter thought he should listen to her so, he opened the window and crawled inside. Tony and Steve looked over at him Tony's mouth about to open to tell him off before Peter fell from the window and thumped onto his carpet with a groan.

Tony and Steve jumped from their seats and raced over, worried at the languid, sleepy droop of Peters limbs as he rolled onto his side.

"Peter! What's wrong?"

Peter had gotten home, he'd gotten help, now he could sleep. Tony pulled Peters shoulder to roll him into his back, as Steve pulled the kids mask off, just in time for the both of them to watch as Peters' eyes rolled back into his head.

Tony's stomach fell as he felt dizzy with the sudden rush of worry flooding through him. He called out, voice panicked and loud as Steve scooped the limp teenager into his arms.

"Friday, tell Bruce we need him in the med bay, now!"

Peter's face was beet red, his breaths coming too fast and Tony ran to keep up with Steve as they raced to the med bay.

Bruce was already there, coming out to greet them as he snapped his gloves on and looked over his patient. "What happened?"

Tony felt as if he couldn't breathe. "He just came in through the window and then collapsed! I don't know what happened."

Bruce frowned at the boy's red face and leant over Peter as Steve lay him down on the bed. "Friday, get me a mission report from Karen."

"Right away, Sir. Putting it up on the screens now."

Bruce looked up at the screen beside the bed and froze for just a second before he snapped back to action, more frantic than before.

"Get his suit off!" He ran out without another word, leaving Tony and Steve to do as he'd asked.

Peter didn't move when they pulled his suit off, his eyes remaining closed and his chest heaving in quick, shallow, bursts.

Bruce came back in a moment later, grabbing a syringe from the cupboard and equipment for an IV. "Carry him."

Steve did as he was told, scooping up the boy in his arms and following Bruce down the hall to the bathroom. He had a bath running, cool water filling the tub as he set up equipment beside it.

"Put him in!"

Steve nodded and hurried forward, cradling Peter in his arms and holding him in the water, allowing the kids head to tip back so that the water flowed up to his hairline, fae above the water.

He held him there as Tony watched Bruce frantically set up his equipment. "Bruce, what is this? What's wrong with him?"

Bruce pulled the IV to the tub and picked up Peters closest arm, turning it to find a viable vein before placing and taping the needle. "He's suffering from heatstroke. He's dehydrated and overheated and it's going to shut down his organs if we don't cool him down right now."

Tony knelt by the bath and smoothed Peters soaked hair back, before brushing the backs of his fingers over Peters burning cheek.

Bruce moved to the other side of the tub, leaning in to attach monitors to Peters chest and temples. They were small, flat, circles that stuck to his skin to provide a steady stream of vitals to the screens Bruce had around him. They were waterproof and wireless and they hummed slightly as Bruce set up the screens to display their readings.

The rapid beating of Peters' heart filled the room, racing beeps making Tony feel all the worse. Bruce was frowning as he prepared a syringe. "I need to give him this before he-"

The beeps of Peters' heart suddenly sped up, screens screaming as Peter began to thrash in the tub. His eyes rolled back and his limbs locked up as his muscles contracted. Tony stumbled back from the bath as he watched Peter shake in the splashing water.

"Dammit! He's seizing! Steve hold him!" Bruce grabbed another needle and hastily plunged it into the port on Peters IV.

Tony didn't hear any of the yelling, or anything that Bruce was saying. All he could hear was Peter's limbs smacking the side of the tub, water sloshing over the rim and slapping onto the floor. His gut twisted and clenched at the gurgles rising from Peters' mouth as the splashing sent water into his mouth and choked him.

He looked as if he were dying. Bruce pushed Tony away from the tub, trying to get more room as Steve tried to hold the boys head above the water.

Finally, after a few minutes, the shaking died down and the water settled, the beeping heart monitor calming as Peters panting breaths slowed.

Bruce sighed, exhausted. "Thank god. His temps coming down. Not by much but its working."

Tony was still staring at the occupant of the tub in shock as Bruce injected something else into Peters line. Tony tried to focus on his words, to try and come back to the present.

"I just gave him a dose of benzodiazepine. Its a muscle relaxant. It'll stop him from shivering, which would be counterproductive right now. I'm going to get some ice."

Steve adjusted Peter in his arms, cradling his head in his elbow with his forearm and hand around Peters back and waist. He looked up at Tony. "You okay?"

Tony frowned, dragging his eyes from Peters' face to Steve's worried gaze. "No, I'm not. I just watched Peter have a seizure."

Steve sighed. "I know. That was...scarier than I'd like to admit. But Bruce knows what he's doing. Peter will be okay."

Tony rubbed a hand over his forehead, anxiety running through him like a live wire. "You don't know that. A seizure means the heat is affecting his brain, making it swell. His organs will be doing the same. We could be looking at permanent damage here, Steve."

Steve looked down at the teenager in shock. He had no idea that was what was happening. "Tony I'm-"

Tony waved a hand, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not exactly helping."

Steve opened his mouth, about to say something else, when Bruce came in, lugging bags of ice with him. He poured them into the tub and sloshing the water around before moving back up to Peter's head and feeling his cheek.

"He should stabilize soon. Once his temperature is down, we'll get him into a bed and I'll take some scans."

Bruce was calm, tapping screens and looking through the information he was getting from Peters suit. Tony took a breath and walked over to the tub. If Bruce was calm then he could be calm.

He slipped his hand into the water, picking up Peters limp hand and wrapping his fingers around Peters long ones. HIs bare chest was still heaving, straining to get enough air in as his brain boiled in his skull.

Tony sighed and closed his eyes. "Jesus, Pete. How do you get yourself into these situations?"

Peter didn't answer, his fingers remained limp as water dripped from them, and his eyes remained closed.

Tony didn't know what he would do if they never opened again.

Once Peters temperature had come down, Tony grabbed a towel and Steve lifted the boy from the water, handing him over to Tony. He wrapped the towel around the kid and lifted him in his arms, Peters head falling against his shoulder as he carried him to a room in the med bay.

Bruce pulled his IV pole along with him, watching his tablet carefully for any blips in Peters heart rate or brain activity. They arranged the kid in the bed, Tony stepping back to let Bruce through.

"How's he doing?"

Bruce shrugged as Steve and Tony started patting Peter dry. "His heart rate has improved and his blood oxygen levels are certainly better than before. But I am worried about his kidneys and brain. He was feeling sick most of the day and hasn't had nearly enough water to drink. Karen said he was also injured in a fire."

Tony looked at Peters' face. "Fire?"

Bruce hummed, looking down at his tablet before he pulled at Peters' shoulder rolling his over just enough to see his back. "He has got some bruising and probably light muscle strains. It'll be fine but it does explain why Karen wasn't able to send any distress signals. She was damaged when Peter was hit."

Tony gently scrubbed the towel over Peters' hair. "Dammit. Why didn't he come back and have her fixed?"

Bruce flicked through the baby monitor footage. "He did try to go for a break at least, but there were people that needed him. He should have come in and gotten her fixed and he should have taken better care of himself but at least when he did the wrong thing he did it for the right reasons."

Somehow that information did make Tony feel a little bit better. Peter wasn't just being some dumb teenager, he was trying to help people even at the risk to himself. Tony brushed Peters damp hair back from his face. "He's a good kid. Who apparently needs me to teach him about self-preservation."

…..

Peters' head was not a happy camper. It pounded and spun and god if he didn't need it so badly Peter wouldn't have wanted it at all.

"-eter? Wake up, buddy."

Peter groaned, throat dry and scratchy as he scrunched his eyes shut tighter. "Hmmm. No. Don't want to."

Mr Stark laughed and Peter felt a hand on his forehead. "Come on. I've been waiting long enough."

Peter pressed into the gentle touch, Tony's hand brushing his hair back on his forehead. It was so soothing and Peter felt like a melting marshmallow. He giggled at the image.

"Ha, ha. Marshy mellow."

Tony's hand moved to Peters' cheek, the backs of his fingers resting against his cooled skin. "What? Pete, buddy are you still a bit too hot? You aren't making any sense."

Peter blinked his eyes open, smiling when he saw Tony sitting beside him. But Tony wasn't smiling anymore, he was frowning. He looked worried.

Peter squeezed the hand holding his and tugged on Tony's fingers, trying to pull him closer.

"M-mr Stark, I saved a fire lady today."

Tony nodded and shuffled closer. "I know, Karen told me. You did a good job."

Peter still looked tired and a little out of it. Tony needed to know. "Peter, what's the symbol for Potassium?"

Peter blinked his heavy eyes but didn't hesitate in his answer, sounding almost bored. "K. And its atomic number is nineteen and it was discovered by-"

Tony's shoulders finally relaxed and his frown was swept away with a smile. "Oh thank god. Your brains okay."

This time it was Peter's turn to frown. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Tony lost his smile. Uh oh. "Peter, you were suffering from heat stroke. Your body temperature was so high that your organs were swelling. Do you even remember getting here?"

Peter blinked, looking around the room. "No."

Tony looked almost sad. "You collapsed through my window, almost gave me a heart attack and then you...you had a seizure. Bruce was worried about brain damage and your kidneys and-"

Peter looked away, memories coming back to him in mushy blobs of images and feelings. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well and I was going to take a break or go see Bruce but then people needed me and-"

Tony leant forward, catching Peters gaze and holding it. "I know that you want to help people and it can be hard to walk away when someone needs you. But if you don't take care of yourself you'll end up in trouble and then you won't be able to help anyone. Do you understand? You almost died, Pete. Karen couldn't call for help. If you hadn't made it back if you had passed out on a rooftop somewhere or god forbid off one then -"

Peter interrupted, feeling awful for the lines of worry over Tony's forehead. "I'm sorry. And I understand. I won't do it again."

Tony searched the kid's eyes for any hint of a lie but found none. "Good. Don't make me see that shit again, okay? Watching you shake like that and...just don't."

Peter didn't know what to say to all that fear in Tony's eyes so, he simply nodded.

"Good. I'm repairing Karen and setting up a new protocol that will alert me if your communications are offline again and you're benched from any missions or patrols for the rest of the week."

Peter opened his mouth to argue or complain but thought again of what Tony had said. A seizure was serious and seriously scary. He shut his mouth and nodded.

"Okay."

Tony looked surprised at the lack of back talk but looked happier for it. "Good. Now, rest up. You deserve it for all that Spider-manning you did with a stewing brain."

He ruffled Peters hair, making Peter smack his hand away laughing. Tony smiled and Peter did too when Tony spoke again, words quiet and genuine.

"You may have almost killed yourself doing it, but even so, you did a good job protecting people. We watched the baby monitor footage from Karen and I saw how many people you saved. I'm proud of you, kid. Even feeling as sick as you did, you put others first. Maybe don't do it until you pass out but…"

Peter laughed. "Thanks, Mr Stark."


End file.
